Knightfall
by Lord Hierarch
Summary: The Royal Knights have been torn asunder.  Who will win and who will fall in their war?  What will the Digi-destined do and what side will they take?
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**.**

"He will not stand for this," Owryumon stated, trembling as he opposed the white armored knight. The Dragon-Digimon ruffled its scaly feathers, pulling his lips back into a snarl and extended the blades of his wings to appear larger and more threatening despite the futility of such actions. "He is greater than you give him credit for-there is a reason he is our Lord."

The immobile white knight crossed his arms over his chest, and gazed down on the trembling Mega-level Digimon, wondering how a pitiful example of a Digimon was allowed to join the ranks of the Royal Knights. He did not say anything but rather, he allowed his silence to speak for him.

Owryumon wailed.

"I urge you to reconsider."

The knight lowered his arms and with contempt in his voice answered: "What I do is best for the Digital World. What he wants has no place in modern times – he sees the past as magnificent and the future as a threat and so holds the whole of the world back. When I look into the past all I see is darkness. When I look into the future I see opportunity and freedom. I do not want stagnation – I want order and reform, advancement and progression."

"It is his will!"

The Knight narrowed his eyes at Owryumon who flinched at the sight. "Correction: It _was _his will."

With regret in every action Owryumon assumed a battle stance, and snarled at the indomitable Digimon. He didn't want to fight against another Royal Knight, especially this Knight. As powerful as he was, the only Digimon that didn't need a Digital-Core to survive, his power paled in comparison to the behemoth he opposed. He'd heard rumors that when a Digimon threatened the Sphere Code of the Digital World by multiplying itself a million times, this Knight went out by himself to challenge all of them.

He deleted them all without a scratch.

At least, that was what the rumors said.

Yet even rumors had a basis in fact and even if there hadn't been a million Virus-type Digimon, even if there had only been a dozen or just one, there were hundreds of rumors that spoke of greater feats and heroics. Thousands of Digimon revered this knight as a hero and a God, a monument that every Digimon had to look up to and want to become. That was the Digimon he faced now whose ideals he dared reject out of loyalty.

"Do not challenge me Owryumon."

"I must," he said bravely.

The knight closed his eyes for a brief moment and Owryumon wondered, naively, if the knight had changed his mind. What a naïve thought, he realized when the legendary warrior opened his eyes and raised his right arm, the arm in shape of a wolfs head.

"So be it."

"**Golden Armor**," Owryumon shrieked, throwing himself back as a torrent of energy burst from the confines of his mouth and rushed towards the Royal Knight. The Knight stood there and simply narrowed his eyes. '_Forgive me,_' Owryumon thought as the Knight was enveloped in the beam before vanishing in an expanding ball of explosive energy that swallowed the mountain the two had been on before. '_I did what I had to do._'

He felt sick.

"What happened here?"

Owryumon turned and saw Phoenixmon slow down behind him, hovering over the slowly compressing ball of energy. Phoenixmon was easily three times larger than he was and was the Lord of all Bird-Digimon. She was a candidate, Owryumon knew, to join the ranks of the Royal Knights but she had to contend with dozens of other candidates who were just as strong as her. "I was attacked," he answered with as much calm as he could.

"By whom," she inquired.

"By a renegade Digimon, a BlackMetalGreymon," he lied.

Phoenixmon peered over him at the glowing ball of energy and narrowed her eyes at him. "A corrupted MetalGreymon would not need so much energy to be deleted," she said slowly.

"You don't believe me."

"Of course I don't."

"Why?"

"I've used less energy to remove corruption from Digimon," she stated. "This is; how would you say it? The amount of energy you used for that is 'Overkill' for a corrupted MetalGreymon."

He snarled. He was in no mood to talk or play games. He had committed a crime, killed one of his own. He felt sick at the thought of doing what had to be done, sick at the murder he had committed. Deleting another Digimon was never an easy thing to do even when necessary. Even against corrupted Digimon, it was never a simple task of deleting them. The Knights of the Round would want to hear about this and investigate. They would need to replace the Lost Knight, a tiresome and miserable process.

He was about to retort when her eyes widened. He felt an illusionary shiver go down his reinforced spine, knowing that something bad was going to happen. He didn't want to turn but he forced himself to.

Rising from the raging fires below the figure unfurled its cape and revealed himself to the two, its armor untouched by the energy thrown at him. His armor glistened and radiated with such majesty and power that Owryumon shivered in both fright and ecstasy. He glared at him with a strange mix of pity and acceptance, and then stared at the shocked Phoenixmon with regret. Then they changed into cold disgust and he raised his wolf-arm.

"My turn," the white knight bellowed: "**Supreme Cannon!**"


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**.**

If Virus-level Digimon had one redeeming quality, Lord Gallantmon thought as he and the three others stood imperiously over the map of the Digital World, it was the ease in which they switched allegiances. In groups the Virus-affiliated Digimon acted tough and gleefully terrorized the Digital world. Alone and separated from the others they were as weak and vulnerable as any other Digimon and like all beings they thought of one thing:

Self-preservation.

Unfortunately there were more and more Virus Digimon creeping from the caverns, each more sadistic and cunning the last. The days of when Ogremon represented the culmination of corruption had gone past. More and more it seemed that sub-variants of Devimon were cropping up, infesting the land, seas and air with their vile presence, corrupting dozens of Digimon races to serve them. Entire areas of the Digital world had been perverted to suit the needs of the Devimon sub-races and their cadre of revolting followers. They revered the original Devimon, the one that the legendary Digi-destined and deleted, and sought to re-create the Empire had had ruled over. Due to their feudal and unsurprisingly distrustful nature, they never united together for long before they devolved into bickering factions.

'_Ah… I'm going of track,_' he thought wiry as another Knight appeared in a flash of digital code. During one of their purges they had captured a BlackGekomon whom the others had abandoned. It had immediately broken down upon seeing them and told them everything it knew. He had taken no pleasure in deleting the poor creature but took comfort in that when it was reborn it would be free of the viral taint that had infected it.

Admittedly though, the new breed of viral Digimon and the sub-groups of Devimon had done some intentional good despite their corrupted nature. Feuding Digimon areas had united against a common enemy and several species that had contested over a small area of water had joined forces against an invasion from a MarineDevimon and Scubamon. The tension that had built up between various Digital races due to the long peace was being put to liberating their world from Evil. The Digital world had suffered under the constant exchange of dark hands from the original Devimon to Myotismon, to the Digital Emperor and then from a resurgent MaloMyotismon. The digimon had been unprepared for such a long peace. He wondered if the Digimon _needed _conflict to stabilize…

No, he would not go there.

The Royal Knights assembled was a far cry from the number that was meant to be assembled. Four out of thirteen Knights, the rest either unable to spare time to meet or ignoring the call. No doubt Magnamon, he thought darkly, was ignoring call the arrogant up-start. "Apologies for my tardiness," Magnamon said then, the light from his entrance fading out around him. He shot a look at Gallantmon as if knowing what he was thinking.

The animosity between the two was well known even amongst the lower digital races. Magnamon was one of their latest additions with Owryumon being the most recent and the only Armored-evolved Digimon amongst their ranks. He prided himself on being the only champion-level Digimon amongst the Royal Knights and the only Digimon capable of fight a mega-level Digimon to a standstill. It irked him to no end and he knew Magnamon knew that.

"Where were you?"

"I was busy purifying an area of a grouping of Fugamon and Ogremon that had been terrorizing the local towns," he answered smugly. Gallantmon could image the smile that must be straddling the lipless muzzle behind the golden helmet. "Twenty two were purified."

"Impressive," Craniamon said.

He withheld an irritated huff.

"To the situation at hand," continued Craniamon after it became apparent that there wouldn't be any more Knights arriving soon, "we have located the compound in which LadyDevimon and her followers have hidden themselves." He tapped the holographic digital map and it zoomed to a small range of mountains on Directory Continent. "Local Digimon have isolated the area and have prevented several attempts at breaking the blockade."

"Have we estimated how many?"

"Two hundred if I remember correctly," Magnamon commented, arms crossed over his golden armor. Gallantmon recalled that Magnamon had overseen the interrogation of the Gekomon. "Local counter-attack by the Digimon there was predictably laughable with fewer casualties to the corrupted Digimon than expected although within tolerable limits."

"Are you so callous with the lives of our charges?" Gallantmon inquired, narrowing his eyes at the golden-armored Digimon.

"I was merely commenting on the lack of resistance from them."

"Arguing amongst ourselves will not help protect Directory or the rest of the world," Dynasmon interrupted, huffing irritably. "Lord Gallantmon is correct Magnamon – we cannot be so dismissive of the lives of our charges. We are tasked with protecting them, not throwing their lives away. However the reason the local Digimon suffered so many deletions was that LadyDevimon has forced many of her followers to become fully evolved."

"We expected this."

"We did not expect her to force a few to reach Mega-level though, Lord Craniamon," Dynasmon responded.

"How is that possible," Gallantmon demanded. It took decades for the average Digimon to reach maturity and many more decades to reach Mega-level and even then only a few succeed before they expired. How could LadyDevimon force her followers to reach Ultimate and Mega-stage without decades of forced training? "This only increases her threat level."

"A primary target."

"Which she already is," Magnamon reminded.

Gallantmon nodded. "What Knights are near the continent?"

"Leopardmon and his cadre of warriors are reclaiming Machine City and Crusadermon is marshaling an army of Knightmon to cleanse Spiral Mountain of the Virus Digimon that had taken roost there. Lord Owryumon and Lord Omnimon are the only two near that continent."

"We have not been able to contact either," Craniamon interrupted.

"I have sent an emissary to find them."

"We should strike now," Magnamon bellowed, slamming a golden armored fist through the holographic map. "Lord Gallantmon and I are more than capable of eradicating those corrupted Digimon by ourselves. I can be at Directory in few days, a week at most."

"We have laws and rules, Magnamon."

"I am aware Lord Dynasmon but-"

"Quiet," Gallantmon hissed.

Magnamon glared at him but Gallantmon saw that there was possibly a hint of amusement in his eyes. He suspected Magnamon was toying with him but he could never tell. Truthfully the golden armored digimon enjoyed these short spats because it made him feel more included amongst the legendary warriors, caretakers and protectors of the Digital World. The war against the new breed of Virus-affiliated Digimon invoked the worst emotions in all of them and it was particularly hard for Gallantmon to control his emotions being a Virus Digimon. There were times he wondered if he pushed Gallantmon too hard but he never acted on those internal questions.

He never pushed anyone too hard.

"We are Royal Knights, we are the sword and shield of Lord Justice," Dynasmon uttered. "There is a reason why Yggdrasil and Paladin Imperialdramon answered the Sovereigns call for assistance. You may be a newcomer amongst our ranks but you know the laws as well as us. We cannot interfere in the affairs of areas not within our own jurisdiction."

Magnamon looked away.

"We are agreed then?"

"Of course."

**.**

**I'm not one to 'beg,' but is the Digimon community dead? Can I get one review? Please? Be it flame or not? (Well... if its a flame at least offer something constructive...)**


	3. Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**.**

**Sweet reviews! I guess Consequences of War spoiled me a bit… **

**.**

_Lord Omnimon watched the Digital World rotate below him. It was a strange sensation, watching a flat world 'rotate' because a flat surface didn't rotate and yet the Digital World did. It was the wish of the humans and their knowledge that their world rotated that made the flat Digital World rotate which only served to bother him. A flat surface should not rotate! But then what was he going to do, he wondered, lamenting at his in ability to correct this. He could not change the minds of billions of humans by himself._

_Could he?_

_No, even for him that would be too much. _

_No, for the moment he contented himself with watching the world rotate, the celestial sphere known as the sun bathe its surface with light. How he wished he could go to the Digital World and feel the sun again, feel the wind rush through the crevices of his armor and through his cape, watch and speak with the multitude of Digimon that lived there. He had not been on the Digital World for centuries, not since the Sovereigns and Lord Paladin had signed a non-intervention pact that forbade the Knights from taking part in the affairs of the lower races. Was it not for his oath he would spend half his time on the Digital World. _

_He, however, had little time to watch the Digital World now. Turning his attention back to the endless walls of data that continuously popped up he fought against the viruses that had snuck past the Wall of Fire (an installation designed by the legendary First Digimon) and tried to infect the Digital World. The young and corrupted data files screeched in horror, anger, and fury as he dove into their ranks and deleted them without mercy. They fought back naturally, but what could data files in a semi-solid state do against a fully-fledged post-Mega Digimon composed out of the two fiercest Mega-level Digimon? Obviously the fight was one sided and in his favor but there were so many of them, endless and endless waves. These beasts were born of the filth the humans put on the internet and it sickened him to see so many of the beasts rush at him. _

_The humans were contradictory, he thought as he wiped out a few thousands data files before focusing on another pack. The Digimon owed the humans their very existence (he personally preferred to believe in Yggdrasil rather than the humans,) and owed the very being of the Digital World to them. Yet they polluted their children, their creations, with filth and viruses and corruption. No doubt they were unintentional but still…_

"_Lord Omnimon!"_

_He turned, not noticing or feeling several waves of corrupted data files smashed harmlessly against his back. The newest member of the Royal Knights appeared before him, the sheer amount of purified data emanating from the Trans dimensional gateway eradicating a number of data files that had the misfortune of coming too close. "Lord Gallantmon," he greeted in return. _

_The new Knight appeared in his elaborate armor, his long crimson cape complimenting his large red and gold spaulders and the red mask he wore over his face. Gallantmon was an exception to the laws of admittance into the Royal Knights in the fact that he was Virus-attributed Digimon, the only Virus Digimon to have been accepted into the Academy of Exalted Knights. The armor he wore was not just for his protection but it was composed of blessed Chrome Digizoid which tempered his aggressive and ill-tempered nature. Despite his instinct to remove the viral infection he had no ill feelings to him. Gallantmon was a proud warrior and the only Digimon that he could consider to be a friend. _

_Friend…_

_That was a strange concept. _

"_Busy as ever, I see," Gallantmon commented as more viral data attempted to cross by him. The numbers had lessened dramatically, and they were clumping closer together as if under the impression they could overwhelm him by sheer numbers all at once. How amusing the viral files were, he thought. Three bursts from his cannon ended those misguided beliefs. "You are exceptional at purifying these little data files," he added. _

"_Would you care to try?"_

"_I prefer not to, Lord Omnimon."_

_He nodded although he wished Gallantmon had accepted. This job was a source of constant boredom and disappointment. While he was not one to reject the will of Paladin Imperialdramon he wondered if there were times he wondered if the Paladin was purposefully holding back but every time he thought about he felt angry at himself for the seditious thoughts. "What brings you the net?"_

"_Lord Crusadermon has called a meeting."_

"_Why?"_

"_The Olympus Twelve have broken the accord."_

…

"_This insult cannot go unpunished," he bellowed, watching as two red dots representing the invading Digital Gods rampaged through the Continent of the Grey Forest. "Already twenty seven Digimon have been deleted and their data sent to Secondary Village and many more have been wounded. Why do we watch rather than intervene?"_

"_Lord Paladin has not made his decision," said Crusadermon, a pair of Knightmon flanking her. These Knightmon were different from the others of their class, slimmer and more intimidating. They were excellent and respectful fighters in Omnimon's rare opinion, for mature Digimon at any rate. "My meeting with him suggests he will not take any action."_

"_Impossible," he rebuked._

"_These two are renegades," she insisted. "The other ten have expressed their condolences and regret over the actions of these two."_

"_Will they force these two in line?"_

_"Who are they?"_

_"Jupitermon and Apollomon," Gallantmon said. _

"_They will not break the accord."_

"_The accord has already been broke though," Gallantmon interjected join the side of his friend. "The accord was created to prevent the Royal Knights, the Olympus Twelve and the Sovereigns from interfering in our respective realms and planes of existence, __correct? The simple fact that two of the Olympus Twelve have broken it gives us reason to intervene."_

"_Isn't that easy," Craniamon grunted. "The Sovereigns have not sanctioned our involvement and we cannot act without the will of Lord Paladin Imperialdramon to guide us."_

_Omnimon narrowed his eyes. "__We are Royal Knights, sacred guardians of the Digital World as well as the Guardians of the Network. It is our duty to stop these two before they destroy the Digital World. If Paladin Imperialdramon or the Sovereigns will not sanction our intervention then we must go without their approval. It is our duty and creed." Before he could continue, a burst of data erupted in front of him and another Knight stepped through. "Lord Dynasmon," he said, nodding his head in respect to the Knight. _

"_Lord Omnimon, Lord Gallantmon, Lord Craniamon, Lord Crusadermon," he said gruffly. "I have returned from my session with our founder on the matter of the renegade Olympians."_

"_What is his edict?" _

"_We do not interfere."_

_There was silence amongst the Knights as they digested the information. In truth they all wanted to stop the two renegade Olympians before they did further harm to the Digital World. However unlike Omnimon they had accepted that chances of returning to the Digital World were slim and they were content with protecting the network from viral infection. Omnimon however, was born for battle and held an unwavering love for the world that had created him. "I will not an accept this," he said bluntly. "Paladin Imperialdramon," he said dropping the honorific 'Lord', "may have forgotten what the Digital World is but I have not. The Digital World was our home before we formed the Royal Knights and still is. I will not watch my home burn because of an ancient pact that has been broken."_

"_It is the will of __**Lord **__Paladin Imperial-"_

"_And this is __**my **__will," he snapped. "I will not watch my home burn and I will not let Imperialdramon or the Sovereigns stand in my way. Who amongst you will join me," he demanded. _

_Crusadermon looked away._

_Dynasmon closed his eyes._

_Craniamon said nothing._

_Finally his gaze settled on Gallantmon who seemed conflicted. "What say you," he said softly. _

_Gallantmon tried to think of some word of explanation. Anything about anything, anything to express the guilt and shame that he felt now, that somehow made him feel sicker than before. Omnimon's head tilted oh so slightly and he saw in his brilliant blue eyes the expression his helmet obscured. _

_Disappointment. Understanding. And, possibly worst of all, forgiveness. _

"_So bet it."_


	4. Part 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

ChedderChez: There are two unknown Royal Knights so far. I had to fill those two spots up so I chose two random Digimon that I thought were appropriate enough to be Knights. And following the Greco-Roman styling Digimon of the Olympus Twelve, I decided to 'invent' a Digimon so: Jupitermon.

_**Human 'Year': 1983  
**_**.  
**"_You shall not pass."_

"_You shall not pass."_

"_You shall not pass."_

"_You shall not pass."_

_Omnimon narrowed his eyes as the four forms of the Harmonious Ones faded into view, the majority of their figures obscured by smoke. The Dimensional rip behind sealed shut, releasing a small wave of anti-data that created miniature explosions around Omnimon, giving him an ominous and threatening glow. Appropriate, considering the situation. He narrowed his eyes at the behemoth forms but was not intimidated by the sight. He was not intimidated by the form that was Lord Paladin Imperialdramon, why would he tremble at the sight of these so-called Gods of the Digital World. _

_They knew this, he knew but they did not care. "We have a treaty with the Royal Knights," Azulongmon said in a grave and throaty voice, grating Omnimon's nerves with the arrogance ingrained in it. "You cannot interfere in the affairs of the Digital World Lord Omnimon."_

"_The treaty has been broken."_

"_We are aware."_

_He crossed his arms over his chest and 'frowned.' "If you're aware that the Non-Intervention/Interference Accord was violated then why do you do nothing while two Olympians terrorize the Digimon of the Grey Forest?"_

"_We cannot."_

"_Why?"_

"_We are not strong enough," another said, a tree-like Digimon whose name he didn't bother recalling. There was a caste system on power levels for the Digital Universe, and for all the power the Sovereigns had over the physical Digital World they were not the strongest beings alive. Above them, dwarfing all Digital beings was the Holy Yggdrasil, creator of the Digital Universe. Rumors were a bound that Yggdrasil's true title was 'ENAIC' although he disapproved of such rumors. Below it were the Royal Knights, his warriors and servants. Yggdrasil had not called on them for many centuries and so Paladin Imperialdramon had assumed the mantle of leadership as well as founder. _

_Below the Royal Knights of the Round was the Celestial Digimon, the protectors of the Sphere Code. They were composed of merely three members – Seraphimon, Cherubimon and Ophanimon and yet they were tasked with defending the original data code that made up the Digital World (and if the rumors were to be believed, the code of Yggdrasil itself.) They were powerful beings, rivaling the powers of the Royal Knights in some aspects although they were significantly weaker. Then below them were the Sovereigns themselves and then the Four Great Dragons. They were tasked with keeping the Dramon and Dragon-type Digimon under control. The two types were naturally territorial and produced the most amounts of Digital Eggs after the Insect types. _

_Below them were the rest of the Digimon. _

"_If you require strength then let me provide it," he declared. "I assure you I will remove the offensive Olympians from the Digital World and return to the ranks of the Royal Knights. If you cannot stop the Olympus Twelve then allow me in your stead, Lords of the Four Quadrants."_

_They stared at him and then shared glances as if conversing with their eyes. "You are aware of the identities of the two invaders?"_

"_Lord Apollomon and Lord Jupitermon."_

"_Then you aware of the legends about them."_

_He narrowed his eyes. He was a Royal Knight, a guardian of the net and of the Digital World. It was his business to watch and study the constant exchange of data files and folders from the Human World to the Digital World and the Digital World to the various sub-domains. Apollomon was the current leader of the Olympus Twelve and he wielded the power of the sun itself as his weapons. Lord Jupitermon, like Paladin Imperialdramon, had founded the Olympus Twelve although he had resigned his throne of power to his 'son.' He boasted mastery over thunder and was the strongest of all the Twelve. He rarely involved himself in the affairs of the Network though, and it had been many decades since anyone had seen Jupitermon. Many were convinced that he was a myth._

_He knew better._

"_What does your Master say?"_

"_I have no Master," he said, affronted by the word. He was Omnimon, greatest of the Royal Knights. _

"_What is Lord Paladin Imperialdramon?"_

"_He is our leader."_

"… _Yes, of course."_

_He wondered what the Four Sovereigns meant by that. Lord Paladin Imperialdramon was restrictive and mired in regulations and treaties but he never acted like a master to the Royal Knights. He treated them as equals… didn't he? Not for the first doubt festered at the back of his mind and the Sovereigns took notice of the uncertainty in his eyes although they made no comment. "I… I have come without his approval," he said at last. _

"_This is the truth?" They said as one._

"_It is the truth."_

"_What of the other Knights?"_

"_They stand by his decision," he replied bitterly. _

_Traitors._

_Again they spoke with their eyes for a lengthy period of time, and each second that past was a century of pain for Omnimon. He could imagine the renegade Olympians, Digital Monsters with powers rivaling that of any Royal Knight, raining hellfire and thunder down on the masses of Digimon that were too powerless or rightfully afraid to challenge them. It pained him to be in the realm of the Sovereigns when he could be fighting the invaders. _

"_The Olympians are powerful Digimon," Azulongmon warned, "equal in terms of size and power to your own cadre of warriors. What can you do against two, Lord Omnimon? You are one Digimon against two, each of which is just as powerful as you are-"_

"_Do not underestimate me."_

"_We only-"_

"_You concern touches me," he said sarcastically. "I am well aware of the Olympus Twelve and their powers."_

"_You still intend on challenging them?"_

"_For the Digital World? Of course."_

"_Why do you care for our domain?" Azulongmon asked softly._

_He cocked his head. Why did he care? "I was born on the Digital World," he said reminiscing, the memories of the two Mega-level Digimon that had melded to create him clashing with each other. "My predecessors, my creators rather, have fond memories of their time there as do I. Everything I am, my beliefs and virtues, were formed during my stay there. I cannot allow the Digital world to be corrupted, Lord Sovereigns._

'_What is your say?"_


	5. Part 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.  
****.  
**_**Human 'Year': 1983  
**_**.**

_Standing on top of a mound of molten gold, Apollomon watched with disinterest as his new subjects offered tribute to his greatness. The mixed crowd of Rookie and Champion level Digimon trembled at his splendor, offering what meager things they had to him. He was greatly disappointed with the level of resistance the Digimon offered him, he expected something of a fight for all of the bluster and arrogance these beasts showed. _

_Instead they disappointed him and therefore he was furious. The few fully-evolved Digimon they'd encountered hadn't fought and had chosen to run away rather than stand up to them. Jupitermon had promised him a fight, had promised him power and a chance to practice his skills in this world. He had been wary at first, the Accord with the Sovereigns was a binding agreement that he had always upheld. But he respected his Lord more than he respected the up-start Sovereigns and what Jupitermon wanted, as the saying went, he always got. _

_Still…_

_An explosion crackled in the distance and plume of smoke and fire erupted high above the canopy indicating that Jupitermon had decided to show off another display of his limitless power. Jupitermon had changed, he thought and not for the best. He was colder, less caring that he had been in the past. He never spoke about what happened to him when he returned from his self-imposed exile and refused the mantle of Leadership when he offered it back. He had become reclusive and ignored anyone who talked to him._

_He didn't enjoy hurting the Digimon, far from it. No being in their right mind would enjoy hurting or, Yggdrasil forbids it, deleting them. The few fights he had with the lesser Digimon had not resulted in their deletion and he always healed them with his power. Jupitermon, on the other hand, deleted his challengers without mercy, not even holding back unlike Apollomon. He didn't seem to understand that the Digimon here were nowhere near as strong as the two Mega-levels were and that fact actually frightened him._

_But who, he thought, could resist Jupitermon? Paladin Imperialdramon could of course but he knew that he never interfered. The Royal Knights could defeat him but like the others they refused to do anything without the support of their founder. It confounded him but what could he do? "I expect grander offerings the next time," he boomed to the quivering crowd of Digimon. "Go to your homes," he finished and they bowed to his majesty one last time before running over each other to escape his presence. _

_Cowards._

_Wait… what was that? He narrowed his eyes and scanned the skies, feeling a disturbance in the data surrounding him. Something was wrong… someone or something was coming. But what, he wondered. A data screen opened up in front of him and the face of Jupitermon appeared on it moments later. "What is it Lord Apollomon?"_

"_Have you sensed the disturbance?"_

"_Yes. It is nothing, ignore it."_

_He frowned. "We cannot-"_

"_It is __**my **__will," he interrupted, thunder crackling above his head. Apollomon glanced at the skies and shuddered. _

"_Of course."_

_Jupitermon closed the window, leaving Apollomon to ponder. As a result he didn't notice the energy pulse racing towards him until it hit him in the back, throwing him off his throne. He let out a cry of pain as he tumbled down, paralyzed by the hit and by the shock. He grunted in pain and rose to his feet, searching the skies for his attacker. Finally someone had the backbone to stand up to him, and it was someone powerful based on the impact. "Come out," he bellowed as snaky tendrils of fire appeared from his wrists, wrapping themselves around his arms and chest. He rose into the air, hovering in the middle of the sky, looking. "Lord Apollomon demands a challenge from yo-ooof!"_

_A white blue slammed into him and pushed him into the ground casting a plume of smoke and dust to erupt around them. He groaned as the white armored figure flew into the air. A challenger and a particularly strong challenger at that, Apollomon thought with glee. Someone to spar with, someone just as strong as he! Oh yes, this would be exciting. "__**Arrow of Apollo,**__" He shouted, firing red hot arrows from the jewels on his hands. _

"_**Supreme Cannon!**__"_

_His eyes widened as a beam of energy erupted from the figure, racing towards him with the promise of deletion. His arrows vanished into the beam as it raced closer and closer. "__**Sol Blaster,**__" he bellowed wildly, a sphere of fire from the sun itself bursting out from the sphere of flames on his back. The sphere slammed into the beam and exploded, generating a massive explosion, flinging him away as if he was nothing more than a ragdoll. He slammed into a cliff wall, gasping for breath as his vision blurred and melded. _

"_Lord Apollomon!" He raised his head as Jupitermon appeared before him, concern evident in his eyes. "What happened?" _

"_A challenger," he whispered._

"_I'm coming."_

_Apollomon gritted his teeth and rose into the air, eyes on the white-armored warrior that had so brazenly attacked him. A name ravaged the back of his mind, he knew this Digimon. But-_

_Omnimon._

_That was it._

_Omnimon._

"_A Royal Knight," he said gleefully, somewhat glad that the Royal Knights had decided to intervene. "So have you and the others decided to intervene? What brazen audacity!"_

"_I come alone."_

_That surprised him. The Royal Knights were infamous amongst the higher Digital Beings for being utterly dependent on the words of their leader and founder. They were, supposedly, unable to do anything without the approval of the Paladin. "You've broken the Accord," Omnimon said quietly, leveling his cannon at Apollomon. "You've terrorized this continent for long enough. I will not allow you to continue your actions in the Digital World."_

_Before Apollomon could even retort, Omnimon lunged forward and pressed the muzzle (literally) of his cannon against his chest and fired. He gasped in pain as he thrown back, his breastplate sizzling as he crashed into a mountain, vaporizing a large chunk of it in the process. "__**Mode Change,**__" Omnimon bellowed, "__**Burst Mode!**__" He fired again, but this time several large pulses erupted from the cannon and enveloped Apollomon and miles of forest in a terrifying ball of fire. He looked down on the carnage and retracted his cannon._

"_Now where is-"_

"_**Sol Blaster!**__"_

_He narrowly avoided the ball of solar energy, narrowing his eyes as Apollomon rushed towards him. _

"_**Transcend-"**_

"_**Thunder Mortar!**__" _

_Apollomon covered his eyes as bolts of lightning erupted from the sky, enveloping Omnimon in a murderous glow. He roared in pain and fell to the ground with a thunderous crack, the ground itself breaking beneath him. Like a vengeful God Jupitermon lowered himself from the sky, arms crossed over his blue and gold breastplate. "A Royal Knight, interfering in the affairs of the Digital World? How interesting." _

"_He said he came without permission from Paladin Imperialdramon."_

"_A renegade?" Jupitermon laughed. _

"_A protector!"_

_Jupitermon's laughed turned into a shout as a bolt smashed into his feet, throwing him further upwards. Apollomon hissed in alarm as Omnimon rose back up seemingly unfazed by the thunderous attack done to him. He lowered his smoking cannon and gave Apollomon a look that harbored such anger and disgust that it made him recoil at the very sight. "__**Transcendent Sword!**__" He bellowed, a gleaming grey sword erupting from the head of the Wargreymon as he swung his arm in an overly dramatic fashion, his cape billowing behind him in the soft gentle digital wind. "Your time here is at an end."_

"_I am a God," he rebuked. "You are a Knight."_

"_Then I commit Deicide."_

**.**

"Lord Omnimon?"

Omnimon stirred at the voice, pulling himself out his memories. Standing imperiously with unfounded arrogance at the entrance to his citadel was an Aquilamon, its figure obscuring the warmth of the sun behind it. This particular Aquilamon wore a breastplate and shin guards along with a gleaming silver helmet over its horned head, all of which bore the symbol of the Royal Knights. A messenger from the Council no doubt.

"What is it?"

"The Council," he said haughtily, "requests that you go to Directory Continent and root out the army of a LadyDevimon at once."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Then go," he snapped, frightening the poor Champion-level. With an irritated huff the messenger flapped its wings and fled, not wanting to bring down the ire of Omnimon down on him. Omnimon watched the figure fly away, until it vanished over the horizon.

He wondered if there was something wrong with him. The digital land was bathed in its radiant glow and he thought it appropriate that a land perverted by darkness should be warmed by the descending sun. How appropriate for the situation the Digital World found itself in, he thought darkly. Two Mega-level Digimon deleted by his own weapons and what did he feel? He felt nothing – absolutely nothing. He harbored no regret or pain, no joy or acceptance. He simply felt nothing on the deletion he had committed.

Even worse was that not only he had deleted a candidate for the Royal Knights but he had also deleted a Royal Knight. He had taken out a member of the Council, a Digimon that was a guardian and a brother. He knew he should regret his actions but he couldn't find anything in him that even remotely resembled regret. He had no pain, he felt nothing.

How strange.

Then again, he wondered as he stood there, immobile as the mountain behind him, until the sun vanished, was it so strange? A gentle breeze flapped through his cape, reminding him of his conflicts with the Olympus Twelve, Jupitermon and Apollomon. He had barely defeated the two and he would have rid the Digital Net of their existence had Paladin Imperialdramon and the others of the Olympus Twelve stopped him in the act.

Even now, centuries after the incident, he still felt bitter. The others had not helped him stop them, abiding by the pact and to the word of Paladin Imperialdramon. He had been reprimanded naturally but he had not been stripped of his position amongst the Knights as he expected. The others had congratulated him and admired him for taking down two Olympians, an act that they believed only Paladin Imperialdramon could have done.

That incident cost him his faith in the founder.

The pieces were almost in place and soon everything he had planned would come into fruition. Two centuries worth of planning would bring a new dawn to the Digital World and the Older Order that Paladin Imperialdramon, the Sovereigns and the others so protected would come crashing down. Certain members of the Royal Knights would prove problematic and he wasn't sure on how the other members of the High Digital Realms would react. In the end though, there would be nothing that would interfere with the Requiem.

So was the word of Omnimon.


	6. Part 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**.**

"Take them out!" The Veedramon roared, tendrils of fire flickering from the maw that was his mouth. A flock of Vilemon fled their safe haven, screeching as they flapped their knobby little decayed wings as hard as they could. Rising from the forest like a plague of locusts, a mix of Insectoid Digimon rose and filled the sky with their incessant buzzing. The Vilemon screeched in alarm as they skidded to a slow halt, turning as fast as they could. "**V-Nova Blast,**" he bellowed, a v-shaped fire bolt bursting from his mouth.

The fire ball went wild but it wasn't intended to hurt them. No, it was intended as a signal for the Insectoid Digimon as they rushed forward with a vengeance and unleashed a torrent of needles, electrical currents/bolts and energy pulses towards the Evil Virus Digimon. The Vilemon didn't even have time to screech as their bodies dissolved into data, scattered across the Digital World. "Dat's right!" He shouted, punching the air in glee. Was this all that LadyDevimon could send against them, he wondered. If it was, then how the virus did she ever become a threat to this part of the Digital World?

Incompetence from the local Digimon no doubt, he snorted.

The Digimon on Grey Forest never really had to deal with a Virus Digimon before, not like Server Continent, Directory Continent or even the fabled File Island. The Grey Forest had been untouched by all the chaos and destruction that Devimon, Myotismon, the Dark Masters and others had caused. In a way he felt sad for them because they hadn't been prepared for LadyDevimon. Rumor had it she'd been a favorite of the Dark Masters way back. If the Digimon here had been attacked by an evil Digimon then they wouldn't have scurried away so quickly, of that he was sure of. As soon as he thought of that he felt disgusted with himself. How could he ever want any Digimon to be hurt or deleted?

But he could hear the call to fight…

It was ringing, always ringing and whispering in his head. The voice, the commanding deafening voice that wrapped itself around his very mind and thoughts tortured him so. Even now he could hear it and it was louder, always louder after he'd fought. Always louder after he'd beaten off an attempt by some of LadyDevmion's minions to run or attack. It grew louder and louder around certain Digimon and vanished when he neared others. It was a soft tender whisper and it made him shiver to hear the voice caress his mind, speak to him with a sultry forceful tone.

He shivered just thinking about it.

The voice was the reason why he was here, why he had decided to come help the Digimon here. It _made _him want to fight, it made him want to sink his teeth into data-skin and tear a chunk out and cut his way with his claws, impale something with his horn and just unleash the bottomless well of fire that burned in his stomach, yearning to be used. He was a fighter, and he couldn't ignore the desperate plea of the Digimon here when LadyDevimon moved on from Server. Still he wanted to be closer to the action, fighting in the caverns of the mountain the she-devil had made into her fortress of evil. Heh-he'd learned that from ExVeemon. He was a funny Digimon, that little ExVeemon. It did bother him, though that the little Rookie had been one of the human's Digimon followers. He'd heard rumors that the humans made the Digimon due all the work fighting the Evil Digimon that scourged their world many years ago and that didn't sit right with him.

Oh well.

"Excellent job Veedramon," a deep vibrant voice said from behind, nearly scaring the horn off him. He voice grew louder and he felt dizzy at the deafening call. Casting a long shadow over him, a GrapLeomon smirked at the obvious scare he had given the diminutive dramon. "You have natural leadership skills to have so many Insectoids act so quickly. That type of Digimon does not react fast enough in my opinion."

"I'm good alright," he said boastfully.

"If the rest of the battle were so easy," he went on, bitterness creeping into his voice, a ripple going down Veedramon's spine. "How this vile Digimon managed to force her servants to evolve so quickly… there are not enough of us Ultimate's to stem the tide against them. Half of the fully-evolved Digimon here have already been deleted and were it not for the Ultimate's from Directory we wouldn't still be fighting within that horrendous mountain."

"Then let me fight," said the eager Veedramon, a glint appearing in his eyes. "I may be just a champion but I'm strong. I'm wasting ma talents here – I can be real good in a fight!"

Grapleomon chuckled at the eagerness the champion showed but also was slightly disgusted. Digimon fighting Digimon was a crime against all sentient data, an ugly thing that no Digimon should ever want. He remembered when he'd been an Elecmon and helped other Elecmon care for the baby Digimon in Primary Village. While he was a fighter he still held unto the memories of when he protected and nurtured lives and relished those times. Now those times were gone, and unlike the other times, the Digi-destined were nowhere to be found. "You'd do better here," he said bluntly, arms crossed.

"But I can fight better at the front!"

"We need you to organize the Insectoids; they'll listen only to you apparently which speaks volumes on your leaderships." That was a lie but he didn't want to have any more unnecessary deletions on his paws. He glanced at his paws and imagined the data that stained them, hands that had nurtured lives just a few years ago. How things changed so fast, he thought bitterly. The virus Digimon did nothing but feast on the distrust and bottled paranoia that the Digimon of the Digital had buried away after so many evil dictators. If it wasn't for them, would he have ever Digivolved from his Elecmon form? "We have a group of Greymon being flown in from Server to help us," he added.

At that, Veedramon snarled quietly. He didn't like Greymon because they thought they were better than them. The Greymon were relics from the old Digital World, before the advent and return of the ancient digital races whose code had been locked away along with that of the divine Sovereigns. When the DigiDestined had released the Sovereigns and defeated the Great Darkness, dozens of Digital races had been brought back. The dramon-type Digimon, an endangered Data species, had been rejuvenated by the appearance of thousands of dramon eggs. ExVeemon, the last of his kind, had been joined by hundreds of reborn ExVeemon. His races were no longer endangered but thriving!

Of course competition came in the form of the Greymon and their brethren. They didn't like the influx of dramon coming into what they considered to be 'their' land. It was outrage! Whenever it looked like conflict was going to happen between the two races ExVeemon would break it up. The infamous Destined Agumon never came in to break it up which only made the Greymon and their rookie forms all the more pathetic in his eyes. They didn't need to bring in Greymon – all GrapLeomon needed, in his honest opinion, were a few dozen more Veedramon. He was just as stronger as any other Greymon and he was only a quarter the size of those lumbering brutes. For every one Greymon, you could bring in five Veedramon.

He was about to voice his argument when drums quickened. His throat constricted as the call grew louder and louder, more insistent with each passing second. It was then he heard the laugh, and felt a sudden a chill as if he'd been thrown into a pile of snow naked. GrapLeomon narrowed his eyes and Veedramon followed it, afraid of what he was going to see, his head pounding with each second. Hovering in the air in defiance to all of the Digimon glaring at her with the utmost hatred, oblivious to the yearning want in all of their heats to delete her, was LadyDevimon. Her ever present arrogant smirk was present, her red eyes gleaming with a vile eagerness as she surveyed all of the Digimon around her.

In her hands something stirred and Veedramon realized, with mounting horror, that it was a Digimon. Raising the bruised and dimmed Meramon like some sort of sick trophy, she let out a laugh. "My, my," said the evil Digimon, "so many Digimon just for me! I feel so special!"

She threw the Meramon into the air.

"**Darkness Spear,**" she hissed, impaling Meramon in midair. He let out a horrific scream as his body dissolved into data.

"No!" GrapLeomon said quietly.

"Do you really think you can stop me," she taunted. "I am stronger than your average Ultimate. I served Piedmon and I held my own against several fully-evolved champions in the past. Your little party can't hurt me or my army; you're only providing target practice for me."

Glaring at her with tendrils of fire slipping between the cracks of his jagged teeth, Veedramon could see red. He hated her; he hated her for what she said and what she had done. The fire in his stomach burned, it burned so much. It felt as if he was going to explode if he didn't so something and something he did. "**V-Breath Arrow,**" he screamed, a massive fiery blast erupting from his mouth, easily twice his twice with such intensity it blinded him for a second.

He heard her laugh:

"**Darkness Wave!**"

His eyes widened in despair and confusion as the enormous fire ball broke apart into tiny wisps. "Did you really think that would do anything to me," she sneered, her eyes zeroing down on him. He growled and raised his fist into the air, shaking it at her, unable to do anything. But oh how the call demanded him to something and the pain in his head… he wanted to tear his mind out! He had to do something but what could he do?

"Now," GrapLeomon shouted, "attack!"

On cue a swarm of Snimon bust out from the vast sea of trees, their mouths agape as they raised their scythes, rushing towards the lone viral Digimon. Her smirk never left her face as her left arm transformed back into a long spike, waiting for the Snimon to come closer. She floated there, uncaring of the impeding attacks coming in from all around.

At that moment a massive explosion shook the mountain, throwing dust clouds into the air. Dust, grime and rock fell from the sky, slamming into rocks as the Digimon scurried for safety. Bodies also flew into the air, howling and screaming as the champion and ultimate Digimon that had charged bravely into LadyDevmion's fortress were thrown out and deleted. The Snimon came to a halt, confused and shocked by the incredible explosion… giving LadyDevimon the opening she wanted. The Snimon didn't even have to react as she plunged her spoke into their bodies; brutally tearing her arm out and moved on to the next, laughing while she did it. "Poor little insects," she sneered as the last of the Snimon dissolved.

Veedramon roared in anger; and the call became all the more intense. The call demanded action, demanded him to rebel against the old ways and fight for a glorious new era. He heard the cries of a hundred other voices scream in his mind and his mind throbbed at the sheer volume. Then, from the howl of disunity and anger, a single voice broke through. A single voice that carried such anger and sorrow it made him feel trivial.

The voice said three words:

'_It is time._'

'_It is time._'

'_It is time._'

Then he heard a series of low booms and a white figure streaked out from behind, its red cape flapping behind him as LadyDevmion's cruel mocking laugh turned into a scream of utter pain. She clutched at the blade that had cut through her nimble body, quivering at the sight of the white knight. He glared at her with disgust as she burst into data.

Throwing his cape behind him, Omnimon raised his blade into the sky and bellowed: "**IT IS TIME!**"


	7. Part 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**.**

As soon as they heard her scream the viral army of LadyDevimon sprang into action to save their Mistress. Omnimon retracted the blade as soon as the viral Ultimate dissolved into fragmented data, watching dispassionately as a mixed group of Ultimate's and Mega-level Digimon rushed out of the safety of their fortress and fired a mixed array of fire at him, as if believing they could harm him with enough power to level a mountain. It sickened him, the delusions of these poor Digimon had. The horde of uncorrupted digimon gasped in despair as their knight vanished in an expanding sphere of fire and smoke, the digital air around the knight itself warping and twisting at the sheer amount of power that had been thrown at the Royal Knight.

GrapLeomon only smirked at the nativity that the mix of Champions and Ultimate's displayed despite the era they lived in. He had seen the Royal Knights fight before, had seen them challenge the unholy armies that Devimon caste had rallied round their corrupted call. The Royal Knights were the most powerful Digimon to have ever been created, surpassing the might that were the Sovereigns. It was laughable for anyone to think that anything short of another Royal Knight could take one down. The call to war, the yearning to fight against these demons, it filled him so! With the eternal drums playing in his mind he threw his pawed fist into the air and let out a ferocious roar.

"To victory," he bellowed, "to peace!"

The other Digimon answered his war cry would a resounding cry of their own, a startling mix of howls, screeches, shrieks and barks that filled the air. "To victory," they recited back amidst their screams, "to peace!"

The call to war sped up, and he felt his heart swell with pride. Yes, this was what he wanted, this was the sensation he craved, the need to fight. The viral army of the late LadyDevimon responded to the roar with their twisted own war cry. They jeered and insulted the smaller group of under-evolved Digimon, snarling and sneering at them; viewing them with the same disgust a Digimon would view a bug. Yet for all their bluster some felt wary about the resistance and determination that their inferior vaccine cousins were showing. The majority however felt overconfident, sure in their superiority over the small group of Ultimate's and Champions. They, after all, represented the finest in the viral armies of the corrupted. When the wave of Ultimate's and Mega-level Digimon attempted to penetrate their outer defenses, they slaughtered them without mercy. The initial surprise had taken a few of their comrades out but their overwhelming might and numbers had overtaken the staunch resistance and the attack had changed been a game of hide-and-destroy afterwards. Naturally the viral Digimon won the game.

With more stupidity than bravery, a Matadormon floated towards the still burning ball of fire, hovering just a few meters away from it. Matadormon was one of the new Digimon that had emerged around the same time as the Devimon family, an Ultimate-level Digimon that was deadlier than this baggy appearance let on. He smiled at the inferno revealing a set of razor sharp teeth and parted his pink cloak to the side with his bladed arms, splitting his fingers part into five razor sharp blades. "To victory," he chanted in mockery of the war cry, throwing his arms in the air, casting a grim shadow on the ground, "to corruption, to destruction! To the end of peace and serenity!"

He sneered.

"Your little Knight is done for. If we could delete a Royal Knight, what makes you think you can stop us?"

GrapLeomon could only shake his luscious golden mane in disbelief at his words. What a fool, not just Matadormon but all of the viral digimon in the mountains. Did they honestly think it would be that easy to delete a Royal Knight, the guardians of the Network and beings on a level that was beyond even of the Holy Sovereigns that it defied imagination? He could scarcely imagine what they were thinking. It was also sad, in his opinion, that they believed they had deleted _the_ Omnimon, the fusion culmination of two of the strongest Digimon in the Virus Busters Family in the Digital World.

The thought was _laughable_.

Then the inferno began to dissipate and Matadormon's laugh was a cut short as soon as he opened the slits that he had for eyes. Comically they widened to an impossible size as he found himself staring down the barrel of Omnimon's cannon just centimeters from his face. GrapLeomon could imagine the looks of terror that viral Digimon had as Omnimon emerged from the ball of fire unharmed, the white knight unmarked and untainted. He stared distastefully at the awestruck viral Digimon who realized, too late as energy began to mass in the cannon, that they were all out of their league. A blue-white beam enveloped Matadormon's head and cut through the mountain range, leaping a gaping hole through the rocky side.

With an unsettling smile on his face, GrapLeomon roared in triumph. Lord Omnimon be praised, they were going to wipe this army off the face of the Digital World. The strongest viral army in the Digital World was going to be destroyed today and after that, the small groups would be hunted down and deleted back to whatever pit spawned them. Veedramon let out a higher-pitched roar but one that shared the same determination and spirit. "Are we late?" A thunderous voice demanded from above.

Blocking the sun with his hand, GrapLeomon roared in approval, ignoring the irritated and disgruntled look on Veedramon's face. Several Greymon roared in anticipation, each carried by two Aidramon's and leading the group were two MetalGreymon's, hovering above his head as they slowly eased their way down. "Is that… Lord Omnimon?" One of the MetalGreymon asked, staring in awe at the white knight that hovered between the vaccine army and the viral army.

"It is," confirmed GrapLeomon.

Now the call to war grew louder, pounding in his head. Yes, the time was coming, the time where everything would change. Surely the viral Digimon realized how doomed they were, that it was impossible to attain victory. The addition of the Greymon only hastened their defeat even if Omnimon didn't intervene.

"Victory and peace," GrapLeomon roared again.

"Victory and peace," the Digimon screamed again.

"For Omnimon!" The MetalGreymon roared as they flapped their wings and took into the air, lunging towards the mountain with their cadre of Greymon stomping after them. GrapLeomon let out a hearty laugh as he and the others gave chase, rushing towards the base of the mountain. "**Giga Destroyer,**" they said, firing two nuclear missiles from their chest silos as they rushed past Omnimon.

Omnimon cocked his head in amusement.

"**Electronic Blast Sword!**"

A Tekkamon threw himself forward, brandishing his sword as he rushed towards the missiles, electrical energy coursing through his blade. His face bore a twisted parody of a jagged smile and his eyes widened in glee as he brought his blades crashing down on the missile…

And vanished in a horrific explosion.

"**Giga Destroyer,**" the MetalGreymon bellowed again, firing more missiles at the mountain as they covered the advance of the vaccine army. Despite the obvious disadvantage their girth should have given them, they avoided the majority of attacks that came their way, terrifying nuclear explosions rocking the mountain and the air. One of the Airdramon howled in pain as several beams cut through its skin, letting out a mournful groan as it slowly fell from the sky, dissolving into data.

Omnimon narrowed his eyes as another Airdramon was deleted. He couldn't intervene though, not yet anyway. The time was here and yet it wasn't here. The culmination of centuries of planning and manipulation behind the backs of the other Royal Knights was taking fruit. It was close; he could feel the power levels of the vaccine army rising as they fed on the drums, the data signal implanted in each of them. Even now, the champions were feeling the effects, and soon the Ultimate's would as well. It was no coincidence that this continent had not felt the danger of the viral threats until now. There was a reason why this continent had the largest concentration of digimon in the Digital World and it wasn't because it had been relatively untouched by the conflicts that ravaged the other digital continents. The signal was in every Digimon on the continent

Thousands of Digimon.

He watched as the Metal Greymon began to glow, their body's shimmering as they tapped into an energy that yearned to be released.

He extended his blade, and slowly floated towards the mountain, carving incoming blasts in half seamlessly. What cretins these viral digimon were, corrupted parodies of what Digimon represented. When everything was over, the Digital world would be free of viral digimon forever.

And then, as the local army clashed with the larger and ferocious army of the late LadyDevimon, bursts of white light erupted from every Digimon, enveloping their bodies as the small cores, pieces of his own core in fact, bloomed and infected every channel in their bodies, filling them with his might and ideals, the centuries of warfare and loss he had felt, of betrayal and disgust. Then the first voices began their roar...

Now.

"_**Aidramon warp-Digivolve to…**_"

"_**GrapLeomon Digivolve to...**_"

"_**Tentomon warp-Digivolve to...**_"

"_**Woodmon Digivolve to...**_"

"_**Veedramon warp-Digivolve to...**_"

"_**Greymon warp-Digivolve to..."**_

"_**MetalGreymon Digivolve to…**_"


	8. Part 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**.**

The Royal Knights were spread thin.

On the Server Continent, Lord's Leopardmon and Crusadermon were battling against the viral armies while Lord Kentaurosmon was working with Lord UlforceVeedramon against viral guerillas on the Folder Continent, the remnants of several armies that had attempted to take the continent by force. Lord Aegismon had shattered their attack by taking out their leaders however he had gone to aid a family of Gomamon and their respective evolved leaders against a rouge group of DarkWhalemon's that had been rampaging through their territory.

At the same time Lord Examon was overseeing the reconstruction of Dragon City in the Vulcan Volcano Ranges after he had purged the city of corrupted Dragons. No one had heard from Owryumon though and it concerned him that no one had heard from him in a while. It was unlike their newest member to avoid contact although they were all too busy to actually look for him.

The other Royal Knights not engaged in combat, four in total, were meeting. "Lord Craniamon," Gallantmon said gruffly as the powerful post-Mega level Digimon arrived in a flash of purified data.

"Lord Gallantmon," the Black Digizoid-armored Digimon paused next to Dynasmon, standing a good two or three heads above the already unusually tall Digimon. Of all of them, Craniamon was the largest Knight, second only to Lord Paladin Imperialdramon. "Lord's Magnamon and UlforceVeedramon," he added as if an afterthought. Magnamon's subtle shifts in posture spoke volumes of his irritation at being considered an afterthought. His arrogance was indescribable. It irked the Red Knight that such an arrogant Digimon could be a Royal Knight, the protectors of the Network and of the lower planes of data.

"Why are we here?" UlforceVeedramon asked quietly in contrast to the brash and showy Magnamon. Perhaps it also irked the armored Digimon that one of his alternate evolutions had been chosen as a Royal Knight before he had been. The two Dramon's were a rare case since the two stemmed from the same evolution tree, the near extinct dramon class, a unique trait that had been a scene of controversy after Magnamon had been indoctrinated into their order. The Red Knight was confounded at the stark contrast between the two Royal Knights. One resorted to diplomacy first while the other utilized blunt force. It was hard to believe that the two were related.

"Answer the question," Magnamon said gruffly, his tail curling in irritation, something that amused Gallantmon. His counterpart glanced distastefully at his relative and shook his head. Craniamon chuckled softly and decided to intervene. "You all felt the shift, haven't you?"

Magnamon froze and he nodded grimly. "There was a sudden spike in the activation of the digital evo-energy. The Digital network froze for less than a second trying to channel the energy to the Digital World." While a second didn't _appear _to carry any significant weight, a second was a century in terms of the amount of data being shipped back and forth from the various planes of creation, from the lowest hells of the Shadow World to the Celestial Plane itself.

For the network to momentarily f_reeze _indicated that an unusually large number of Digimon had evolved to their fully evolved forms… and beyond. "I was contacted by the Sovereigns – they demanded to know what had happened."

"They felt is as well?" Craniamon demanded.

"Of course they did," UlforceVeedramon drawled, "The data energy was sent to the Digital World, their realm. It would have been impossible for them to ignore the sudden surge of evo-energy being shifted towards their realm."

Craniamon growled at the slightly sarcastic hint behind UlforceVeedramon's normally bland voice. Gallantmon glanced curiously at Craniamon and wondered why the Knight seemed so agitated. Was there something he knew that they rest of them didn't know? Absurd, Craniamon didn't keep secrets, it wasn't in his nature.

"Lord Gallantmon?"

The red knight nodded, waved his hand over the floor and a map of the digital world sprang up at his whim. UlforceVeedramon strode to the opposite side of the map and gazed on the fragmented world that was pocketed by clusters of small islands and dominated by five vast continents that teemed with all life, vaccine and virus alike. If one looked closely at the holographic image one would be able to see the individual Digimon that roamed the lowest plane of data, going about their business, fighting to keep their world safe and fighting amongst each other over trivial things such as territory and resources. Beneath the seas the waters teemed with life, from the deepest recess of the ocean to the sparkling surface. The skies were blanketed with the wings of countless Digimon flocking to the various villages that held their 'children' and he admired the seemingly peaceful world he gazed on.

If only it weren't a masquerade.

Across the Digital World, they saw everything...

What had been...?

What was...?

What will...?

However something was blinding them, an unknown power that shrouded the future and obscured their sight. It was unsettling, the sensation. It took a great power to obscure the sight of the Royal Knights, the protectors of the network and of the lower planes. As far as they knew, the only power greater their own individual might was that of Lord Paladin Imperialdramon however he relied on their sight as much as the rest of them did. There wasn't any other power that they knew about that could blind their all-seeing eyes.

"Here," Craniamon said pointing to the Directory Continent.

"What is that?" Gallantmon said sharply, narrowing his eyes as a mass of energy seemed to radiate from the continent, enveloping the second largest landmass in its entirety. As absurd as the thought was, he could tell that it was evo-energy. It was affecting every Digimon on the continent, forcing them to evolve beyond their natural ability, forcibly making them into Ultimate's and Mega's. The energy was encompassing, even the fledging Rookies and baby Digimon in the nurseries on that continent would be affected.

"This is on a vastly larger scale than what LadyDevimon did with her army," UlforceVeedramon said with alarm in his voice.

"That is obvious," Craniamon jested.

"We must contact the others," Gallantmon interrupted. "This transgression and abuse of the energy cannot go unpunished. Every Royal Knight _must _take part in this!"

"Who are you to give us orders?" Magnamon demanded.

"Now is not the time for challenges," Craniamon interrupted. "I have seniority Lord Gallantmon and as per the laws I will decide what we do. Lord Omnimon was on the continent wasn't he? Contact him; he is more than capable of handling a few thousand Ultimate's and a few hundred Mega-level Digimon."

Magnamon muttered beneath his breath.

The truth was that Magnamon didn't trust Omnimon. While he respected him he didn't respect the way he treated the other Knights. He had heard about the short Knight-Olympian War and the way that the valiant White Knight had been on the verge of _deleting _two Olympians before their respective comrades had intervened and stopped him before he could finish the job.

In his eyes Omnimon didn't follow the laws, which was ironic considering who he was. Since he joined he had seen Omnimon flaunt his authority as leader of the Royal Knights, challenging their esteemed Founder with every action he took. The lack of respect he showed to the Lord Paladin galled him.

There was also the fact that something about Omnimon that disturbed him. It was the way he brooded after their meetings, the way he looked at the rest of them and the way he seemed obsessed with the Digital World. They had all been born on the Digital World at one point in their lives but they had all cut their ties when they'd ascended to the highest plane of digital existence. It confounded him that Omnimon, the all-seeing Digimon, was so centered on the lowest plane. He didn't understand it and he couldn't find it him to even want to.

He narrowed his eyes.

No, he was wrong. All those times he thought Omnimon had been brooding… he had been _planning _instead. But planning for what he wondered nervously. There was a reason why Omnimon was the current leader of the Royal Knights and why he was called _Omni_mon. While he wasn't their finest tactician he embodied the best qualities of every knight and showed no mercy to viral digimon be they corrupted or naturally viral in nature.

He thought back to everything he heard about Omnimon, everything he had seen Omnimon do and the subtle twitches in his actions, the careful way he acted in front of the others and the way he hovered above the Digital World before the calling. He thought to the way he defied Lord Paladin Imperialdramon and the way he acted towards the other Knights. No… surely Omnimon wasn't _that _ambitious, he thought. He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

Was he?

"You called, Lord Craniamon?"

Gallantmon let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as his data-brother entered the network. There was something about Omnimon he thought. He looked tired, strained even. He hadn't seen Omnimon look so tired in such a long time. He noticed that the other Knights seemed to have noticed Omnimon's exhausted appearance. He faced his counterpart and took a step to the side to offer him his place when Magnamon grabbed his shoulder and held back.

'_When did he crossover,_' Gallantmon thought.

"Wait," he said uncharacteristically quiet.

"Why?"

Magnamon tilted his head towards the newly arrived Knight. For once Gallantmon saw actual fear and concern replace the arrogance and self-indulgence that he usually saw in his eyes. He didn't understand though, what did Magnamon have to fear from one of their own, from Omnimon though? More importantly, why did he think it was important to warn him out of nowhere? "You reek of evo-energy," Magnamon noted, taking his hand off Gallantmon's spaulders. "Why?"

Omnimon cocked his head.

"He was on Directory," UlforceVeedramon said, equally concerned about Magnamon's actions. "He was near the epicenter of the surge of evo-energy. It shouldn't be a surprise that his body is covered with evo-energy after all."

"Was he near it, or _at _it?"

"What are you talking about," Gallantmon and Craniamon demanded.

_**Snap-Hiss!**_

"You're smarter than I thought you were," Omnimon stated softly, catching everyone off guard as he drew the Gray Sword. "That is most unfortunate for you."

Gallantmon felt his heart sink. In the dark recces of his mind he knew what was going on but he refused to listen to the voice urgently whispering at the back of his mind. "I've never trusted you completely," said Magnamon. "But it was only recently that I finally pieced together everything." Magnamon's voice held a sense of urgency behind his words as if wanting to understand. Dimly, his mind enshrouded by confusion, Gallantmon noticed that Magnamon and stepped between him and Omnimon.

The Golden-armored Digimon's eyes shifted to something behind the White Knight and his eyes widened in realization. Then they narrowed in defiance and anger. "You cannot possibly hope to challenge us," he snarled, venom in his voice.

Omnimon stood there uncaring. "Is that a fact?"

"Even you can't defeat the Royal Knights by yourself."

"This is treason against the Code!" Gallantmon interjected.

"The code," Omnimon spat, "does not apply to me. I refuse to acknowledge them. Those ancient laws have no right to exist in the modern world. If you," he tilted his head towards Magnamon, "see what I have planned then why resist?"

"You are deluded," he spat. "Don't even try to challenge us by yourself."

Gallantmon was about to say something when Omnimon laughed. He hadn't heard Omnimon laugh in such a long time it almost sounded unnatural. It was as if a wolf was howling and a dragon was roaring at the same time. "Who say's I am alone?"

"**Shock Ringer!**"

"Gah!"

Magnamon and Gallantmon turned and watched in horror as Craniamon cleaved UlforceVeedramon in half, cutting through his blue Digizoid armor with his Duo Solar Spear. Magnamon froze, unable to do anything as Craniamon planted his tri-clawed foot on his relative's chest plate and stand over the bisected corpse like a champion. "What is going on?" Gallantmon demanded turning back towards Omnimon, aghast at what Craniamon had done.

Behind the two, three areas in the Digital were bathed by the light of evo-energy and the Network lagged. So horrified were the Knights by what they had just seen they didn't even realize what was happening on the Digital World. "What have you done," Magnamon choked, glaring knifes at the impassive and immobile Knight. "You just killed one of your own brothers, one of my own!"

"It was necessary."

"Why?" Gallantmon demanded.

Omnimon looked at him with sad eyes.

"You still do not understand?" He shook his head and then pointed his blade towards them. "Attack."

Several figures leapt into the air, and raised their arms above them as the dim light all around them reflected off their orange armor. Miniature suns formed between their palms and together they bellowed: "**Terra Destroyer!**"


	9. Part 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**.**

**What? **_**Nothing **_**after the Schism in the Royal Knights? Nothing? Aw, that hurts. **

**.**

Gennai jadedly stared at the flowing codes and numbers that sped past him as he checked on the security of the barriers that protected his home. He felt so refreshed after copying himself so many times, he had a youthful vigor again and it felt _good_. He had been alive for so long he had forgotten what it felt to be young. It also helped, he thought amused, that he was handsome.

Yes, it was good to be young.

Letting out a soft sigh, Gennai allowed his eyes to pivot from left to right, scanning the ocean of numbers. Yet the Sovereigns had tasked him with doing menial labor since they had been friend from the confines that the Dark Masters had forced them in. He respected the decision of the Sovereigns but he could do so much more for them than just 'staying out of the way.' After all, hadn't he helped Azulongmon free the other Sovereigns after the Digital World had been freed from the darkness? Even more, hadn't he helped the Digi-destined fulfill their destinies and lock the keys to protecting the Digital World?

He grimaced at that last part. Perhaps he hadn't done such a good of a job as he thought he had. But not even the Sovereigns had anticipated such a large outbreak of viral Digimon to occur so soon after MaloMyotismon had fallen. The gaps in reality between the various planes of digital existence hadn't closed immediately after MaloMyotismon had been defeated, they'd stayed open for a few months. The viral Digimon that had been cast out from the Digital returned in numbers that he hadn't ever seen. The initial crossing had cost the lives of hundreds of Digimon although they had all retaliated.

Now with the gates sealed the weak had been whittled away, leaving the strong to survive and sadly that was the Devimon-class. The true Devimon hadn't been seen yet which was a relief. The only Devimon variant that could come close to the ferocity and vile nature of the original was LadyDevimon and even then… nothing, absolutely _nothing_ came close to his level of cruelty.

He sighed.

Even so the Devimon family ran amok in the Digital World, corrupting and terrorizing the previously peaceful world. The Sovereigns hadn't been able to hunt them down (not because they couldn't but because they had the tedious job of maintaining the underlying codes beneath the Digital World) and so they couldn't much. He had petitioned to contact the Digi-Destined but they had shot him down.

.

"_Why will you not let me contact them Azulongmon?" He demanded as he glared at the slithering blue dragon. Others, even a handful of Mega's, would have been intimidated by the enormous dragon-like creature, a creature that held enormous power in it. A small fragment of its core could force a Digimon to Warp-Digivolve, a rare ability that, as far as knew, only a handful of the Chosen Digimon had achieved. Even so he didn't feel the slightest hint of fear. After all, why should he fear the overgrown snake? He was just as old as the Sovereign and had fought against the Dark Masters and Devimon when he and the others had been locked away. He had lost of course, against them, but he had done his best to protect the Digital by himself. _

"_Why won't you let me contact them?" He demanded again._

"_They need to rest," the dragon said throatily. "They have done much for this world and they have sacrificed much. Particularly the elder generation, they deserve to rest after all that they did and were forced to do. They cannot fight our battles." _

"_They can," Gennai interrupted. "And they will happily do it. They care about our world as much as they care about their own. They have friends here, friends that they would do anything for. The Chosen Digimon cannot evolve beyond their Champion forms without the power of the crests anymore; they __**need **__the Digi-destined to help them."_

"_You would bring them into our own affairs?"_

"_They were chosen by Ygg-"_

"_Their destinies are done," he interrupted. "They did what they had to do. Now they can live their lives uninterrupted."_

_Gennai narrowed his eyes. _

"_You and the other Sovereigns are too busy to fight the Devimon family. Too many Digimon have suffered because of them and there aren't enough Ultimate's and Mega's left in the world to fight them. MaloMyotismon and the others wiped them out during their short revival. Who else can fight the Devimon family?"_

"_There is another group."_

"_Who will you call? The Ten Ancient Warriors?" Gennai sneered. "The Celestial Digimon? The Twelve Gods of Olympus? They will not answer your call; the Digital World is below them. They won't interfere, not after the incursions with Jupitermon and Apollomon so long ago."_

"_There is another group."_

"_Who?"_

"_The Royal Knights."_

.

He couldn't understand what had possessed the Sovereigns to contact the Royal Knights. He feared the Royal Knights and with good reason. When the invading Olympians and Omnimon had clashed, they had literally torn a hole in the Wall of Fire, twisting the Digital World and furthering destabilizing the space-time continuum. Perhaps he was over exaggerating the effects but could be felt on the opposite end of the Digital World (if that made sense on a flat world.) Entire mountains had been leveled and islands engulfed by the sea, the format of their world had been upset. They were powerful, especially Omnimon.

He didn't trust Omnimon. The most decorated Knight had an unhealthy obsession with the Digital World. However the Sovereigns had overruled his objections and he watched from his home as the Royal Knights did the task set forth for them, wiping out hundreds of corrupted and viral Digimon with each passing day. For all of their might though there were too many of the corrupted Digimon to easily take them out all at once. The _extermination _had taken a great deal longer than the Knights had expected but then again they had to protect the Network. They had their own jobs, protecting the Digital World was a side-job.

It infuriated it him.

"Hello there," he muttered then as his connection to the network slowed down if only for a moment. A hiccup but then again the Network was never supposed to slow down, it was the Network after all. That concerned him, what was going on?

He dropped his review of his security network and delved into the Network itself. The Digital Area connected only to a small area, barely a fraction of the Network but the fragment was still an incredible size. He paled as he saw data lines and scripts twist and distort themselves, the underlying code for the Wall of Fire was weakening. As he looked closer he saw a small glint of light buried in the Network.

The Network trembled and several lines of code vanished.

Despite that he still reached forward, curious as to what the glint in the otherwise gloomy area signified. Had the rejuvenated man paid closer attention to his surroundings he would have seen the signs of fighting on the higher planes, the signs of a conflict the likes the Digital World, the _Network itself _hadn't seen before. It was a conflict that was slowly but surely spreading to every other plane of existence. But so intent was he on reaching the glint that he ignored the signs and so paid for it when he grabbed the glint and screamed.

Another part of Omnimon's plan fell into place as the Digital World fell out of sync not just with Earth but the Network itself. The act was unprecedented, the culmination of centuries of covert working and manipulation of the Network and trickery. The Digital World was isolated which kept it safe from the raging war in the higher planes. Time shifted and events were re-created and Digimon lost were reborn if only for a brief moment. Unfortunately Omnimon, for all of his careful planning had not planned for every variable.

The Internet.

A human abomination that infested every nook and cranny of the Digital Universe, it was ironic that it was one of the reasons why the Digital World existed in the first place. Its connection to the Digital Universe was stronger than anyone had ever suspected so the threads between the Digital World and the Real World were not completely severed. As a result, a corrupted Digimon, the result of the Y2K Virus melding with an artificial Digi-Egg, howled in agony as its data was copied from the past and thrown into the future.

**.**

"New mail," Linda muttered as she checked her E-mail account. Strange, she didn't recognize the sender. Well she wasn't supposed to open E-mails from strangers but opening it couldn't hurt her right? She moved her mouse and clicked on it.

"It's a photo!"

The photo was weird. It looked like a tall gangly purple colored Jellyfish but it had two overly long skinny arms with four claw-like fingers. Around where its neck was supposed to be there was a multiple-starred neck piece. Its head scared her. It was bloated and had an insanely grinning face with large green eyes and two antennas. "Uh, who sent me this," she said making a face.

Who the hell would send this to so many people? She scrolled down the CC, amazed at the amount of Emails there. There had to be more than a hundred, a thousand Emails there! Guh, they could have the picture but not her. It was too weird and ugly for her. She moved to delete the e-mail when the picture _blinked_.

She rubbed her eyes. She was seeing things, she reasoned. An ugly stupid picture couldn't move.

_Blink-blink_.

The insane grin on its face grew revealing a set of jagged teeth.

"_**I'm Keramon.**_"


	10. Notice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

Not a update but I WILL replace this notice with a update later on. After re-reading I noticed that I had a lot of conflicting mentions and events. An example is if File Island exists or was destroyed, where LadyDevimon's base was and etc. Due to my laziness and resistance to re-writing the previous chapters, I will retcon any mistakes in the past chapters from this moment on. I will flesh out the story and hope to make it more… comprehensive. Help is greatly appreciated!


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